Side Push Neck Stretch

Setup

1. 01Sit or stand tall with a neutral spine and relaxed shoulders.
2. 02Anchor the arm on the side to be stretched by holding the bench or reaching the hand toward the floor.
3. 03Reach the opposite hand over the top of the head, resting the fingers just above the ear.
4. 04Depress the shoulder on the stretching side before adding any pressure.

Execution

1. 01Tilt the head away from the anchored side until a mild stretch appears.
2. 02Apply light overpressure with the hand, guiding rather than pulling the head.
3. 03Hold while breathing slowly, letting the neck relax into the assist.
4. 04Release the hand pressure first, return to neutral, and switch sides.

Checkpoints

• -Hand pressure stays light; it guides the stretch rather than forcing range.
• -The anchored shoulder stays pulled down away from the ear.
• -The head tilts sideways only, without rotation or forward drop.
• -Stretch intensity stays mild to moderate, never sharp.

Common mistakes

• -Yanking the head over with the hand.
• -Letting the anchored shoulder rise, which slackens the stretch.
• -Adding rotation and stressing different structures than intended.
• -Bouncing or pulsing the pressure instead of holding steadily.